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Enjoying Books Longer
"Books are a uniquely portable magic."Stephen KingAs an educator I have dozens of favourite books. I love sharing a wonderful text with children during whole group meetings. It's enchanting to become...
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The Many Benefits of Mud Play
"We can't blame children for occupying themselves with Facebook rather than playing in the mud. Our society doesn't put a priority on connecting with nature. In fact too often we tell them it's dirty...
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Daily Math Talks with Young Children
“Mathematics is a very broad and multidimensional subject that requires reasoning, creativity, connection making, and interpretation of methods; it is a set of ideas that helps illuminate the world;...
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Using Outdoor Discoveries to Inspire Rich Math Talks
"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen." John WoodenNow that spring is emerging muddy conditions are common in our school yard. Although some educators shy away...
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Creating Geometric Art Outdoors
“Colour is a power which directly influences the soul.” Wassily Kandinsky We spend at least an hour outside each day, rain or shine. Often explorations in the yard are child directed but occasionally...
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Calendar Math: Daily Date-Inspired Prompts to Inspire Math Talk
Math talks are regular, short conversations about purposeful math problems with children. These are intentionally crafted to invite children into specific math situations, helping them to improve their...
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STEAM in the Garden: Constructing Insect Houses from Natural Loose Parts
"Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better."Albert EinsteinThe children were gathered around a large landscaping rock, working together to arrange twigs and stones they had...
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Eight Way to Encourage Math Learning During Risky Outdoor Play
This month I have a blog post featured on the National Association for the Education of Young Children's (NAEYC) website regarding how to engage children in math learning during risky, outdoor play....
View ArticleETFO PLEY Chat - A Classroom that Fosters Mathematical Thinking
As an educator helping children develop a love of and appreciation for math is one of my greatest professional interests. I strive each day to engage children in authentic math learning through play...
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Vintage Treasures in the Classroom
"The objects surrounding the child should look solid and attractive to him, and the house of the child should be lovely and pleasant in its particulars; for beauty in the school invites activity and...
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A Classroom Tour for September
For many years now I have been greatly inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education and have sought any source of information that I could get my hands on! When FDK was first...
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Creating a Space that Cultivates Math Learning
As we head back into the school year many educators are working thoughtfully to create environments that are rich with math possibility. In Reggio Emilia the environment exists as the 'third teacher'...
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Ten Free Printables to Supplement the 'Autumn Math Walk' Book
"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."Albert CamusAutumn is my favourite time of year. Once we have settled into the new school year it's amazing to head outdoors and appreciate the...
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Creating a More Inclusive Math Environment
I grabbed a coffee from a drive through this past weekend. While there I chatted with the employee working at the window. I asked him how his day was going."It was great until about five minutes ago,"...
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Subitizing Game Printable
Subitizing is the ability to instantly recognize the number of objects without actually counting them. This week we practised subitizing using a number cube and this subitizing grid. Children rolled...
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Virtual Bird Count
“There is an unreasonable joy to be had from the observation of small birds going about their bright, oblivious business.” Grant Hutchison Colder weather and light snow this week have inspired new...
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Ten Easy Holiday Math Activities
The holidays are such a lovely time of year to spend with children! However the last few weeks before the winter break can be hectic. Here are ten easy to assemble activities that can infuse playtime...
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Holiday Sweaters
A fun activity this time of year is to decorate ugly holiday sweaters with a variety of loose parts! This activity promotes math as children create patterns on the sweaters. An interesting discussion...
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Alphabet Mats for Letter Recognition
Recently we have been working with different fonts to help children recognize that the same letter can look many ways. These letter templates are easy to use in matching games. Get a copy here!Alphabet...
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Easy St. Patrick's Day Math Ideas
St. Patrick's Day is a fun holiday that helps jump start the spring season! Here are a few easy to plan math activities for children!1. Shamrock Subitizing- Write different numerals in the center of...
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Five Free Printables to Use with Tree Math
"Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky."-Khalil GibranDuring outdoor play children are drawn to the trees in the school yard. They love to feel bark with their hands and wrap their arms...
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20 Free Alphabet Activities to Use with Children
I have spent time reviewing many of the resources and materials I have created over the years. Over the next few weeks I would like to share some on this blog. Learning the names and sounds of upper-...
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Quick and Easy Resources for Littles to Help Explain and Explore the Solar...
The solar eclipse of 2024 is an exciting event for children! Here are some resources I quickly put together to help educators and families explore the eclipse and use it to inspire a few...
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Book Review
"Exploring trees outdoors is an enjoyable experience that children love to do! Swinging from a branch, exploring leaves and bark, and observing gnarled roots are all favourite activities that also...
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Cultivating a Mathematically Rich Learning Space
It's almost Labour Day! This time of year always fills me with hope. Although it's sometimes sad to be leaving the fun and comforts of summer - spending time with my children, sleeping in, enjoying the...
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